Tormented Little Bird
by Kiarados
Summary: Marisol is searching for her sister who disappeared in the middle of Ishbal Rebellion, when she stumbles upon the Elric brothers. She follows them against her will, as she soon discovers who she really is.
1. Chapter 1 Sweet Dreams

**Chapter 1**

_"Hey Courtney!" a small girl called. Her soft-red blond hair flew in her face as she ran toward a little house down the way. "Courtney! My dad almost finished the tree house, and then there's... there..." she panted as she reached the door which was slightly open. _

_"Courtney?" she felt a fear rise in her as a strange metallic scent filled her nose. "Are you there?" she questioned pushing the door open. The young girls eyes widened at the three people on the floor, covered in blood. She wanted to scream but it was caught in her throat._

_She shook a little as she glanced around. Her eyes widened as they locked with her friend. "C-Courtney?" she quivered. Courtney was covered in blood, her hand hanging over the loft she used to sleep in. She could hear the drip, drip, drip, of blood from Courtney's fingers, forming a pool underneath the loft. The girl tore her eyes away from her friend and looked down at her feet. She froze as she realized she was standing in the pool of blood._

_Her heartbeat out of control as she suddenly turned around; and ran toward the door, without taking her eyes off of the grotesque scene. She ran into someone making fall backwards into the crimson liquid._

_"What have we here?" a male voice asked dripping with malice. She slowly turned her head toward the man, her eyes filled with fear as he hovered over her with a butcher knife in his hand covered with blood. _

_Blood began to rise, or so it seemed to the girl. It rose like a flood, up to her shoulders, to her neck, until she was completely engulfed in it like water. She struggled to breathe, to swim to the top but she couldn't reach it._

Mari sprang up where she had fallen asleep, breathing in sweet air. She was covered in a cold sweet. _It was just a dream. Just that same dream again_, she told herself as she tried to calm down. It took her a moment of figure out she had fallen asleep in a field about a mile from the dirt road.

The wind howled through the skeleton trees, making the leaves that were left on it rustle. The cold sweat that had formed on Mari's head caused her soft-red blond hair to stick to her face, and her breathing was still a bit unsteady. She could feel the blood draining from her body as the cool night air wiped across her skin, making her even colder...

"Stupid memories," she cursed throwing herself back onto the foot long grass that concealed her, she has always felt more comfortable when hidden in such grasses. Mari didn't want to go back to sleep. She didn't like to dream. Each one was a nightmare. Even if it started off normal, it always ended with her heart beating faster than she could breathe.

She looked at the moon, seeing it was high in the sky. Morning wouldn't come for another six hours or so, she knew it. So she closed her eyes hoping to have a dreamless sleep. But she was never one to get exactly what she wanted. She just wasn't lucky like that.

_"Hey, Casey?" a little boy with chestnut colored hair asked a red-head, sitting next to him. _

_"What is it, Davy?" she answered; her bright blue eyes followed the clouds as they drifted by. The two were probably between six and seven, but it wasn't certain. David had short chestnut colored hair cut a little above his ears, giving him the real boyish look. His dark green eyes were brought out more against his pale skin. Casey had reddish brown hair, and lightly tanned colored skin. Her crystal clear blue eyes where like little pools on her face, lost in the wild hair on her head. _

_"What exactly is alchemy?" _

_"Alchemy – Noun. The science of transforming one matter into something else; to obtain something, something of equal value must be lost. This is the law of equivalent exchange."_

_"It seems complicated to me."_

_"It's really not. Do you want me to show you how it works?" Casey offered._

_"Really? That would be great! I'm not that good at it, and don't know much, either."_

_"That's quite alright, come with me and I can show you all that my brother taught me..." Casey's voice faded and the scene slowly turned from a clear sunny day, to a dark and foggy night._

_It was gloomy and though the sky was clear, a thick fog had descended quite suddenly. Thunder sounded, and lightly streaked the sky, but not a single drop of rain fell. Inside the center of a warehouse was an old-looking man standing in front of a chalked transmutation circle. In the circle was the form a human body; it looked like a woman. She was on her back, seemingly dead with her inner organs showing and her skin blanketed by a goo substance mixed with blood._

_"I don't understand why it didn't work," the man said in a hushed whisper. "Maybe if I do it another way..." He went to a desk where there were books and papers spread all over. He was muttering to himself about theorems and other such nonsense. His eyes were clouded from his grief and failure. They color in them were almost lost, but still a faint color of green. His hair looked like a light grey brown. And though he seemed older, he was only in his mid-twenties._

_The "lifeless" thing in the center of the transmutation circle had pale, ghost-like skin. She laid on the floor; not moving or breathing. Suddenly, it opened her eyes and sat up. She was filled with pain and tried not to move, but her efforts were useless. She went on her knees and tried to stand, only to fall back on her knees. It caused her great pain and she let out a blood curdling scream that echoed through the night..._


	2. Chapter 2 Train Encounter

**Chapter 2**

Mari's pale blue eyes shot open, her heart in her throat, beating loudly in her ears. But even the loud beating of her heart couldn't block the deathly scream that echoed through her head like a loud church bell that wouldn't stop. She sat up fast, but the water in her empty stomach shook against the sides, making her sick. Instinctively she held it, feeling nauseous and the same pain that the creature in her dream felt. She couldn't hold it in, and she threw up water mixed with stomach acid.

_**You need something to eat**_, a voice echoed between her ears. It was the voice that was her guardian or like a sort of conscious. She didn't know where it came from, or why it was there, but it made her feel less alone. She never told anyone of the voice, it would only make them think she was a lunatic, and who was to say she wasn't. Besides, most of the time she ignore the voice's advice, even if it was usually right.

"Don't you think I know that," she snapped, regretting it immediately as her stomach seemed to turn in on itself. "I feel sick," she groaned.

**_It not a surprise, you haven't had anything to eat for the past couple of days. _Allyou've **_**had was water**._

"Shut up! It's too early to fight," she whined as she slowly stood to her feet. She swayed a bit, still feeling woozy; not only from her dream, but also from the lack of nourishment.

_**Do you want me to help?**_

"I can do it myself!" she growled picking up her back pack that contained random junk she took from her house, and threw it over her shoulder. She let out a sigh before she started to walk toward and then down the dirt road. _I'm sorry_, she said to the voice. _I guess I'm just cranky._

_**I understand. Don't worry about, Marisol.**_

She lost herself in an illusion or hallucination that she had every time she walked by open grass areas. It was of two kids no older than three, a boy and a girl, running through the grass, laughing and playing. Both had blonde hair, but the girl had a soft-red tint to hers; she kind of reminded Mari of herself. The boy looked familiar to Mari, but she couldn't quite figure out why. He didn't look like anyone she had ever known, yet she felt as though she had known these two kids before. When she finally looked around to see where she was, she realized she was at a train station.

She was soaked to the bone, her wet clothes sticking to her skin. "When did it start raining," she asked herself looking up at the sky as the rain hit her face. She was a bit distracted, and didn't even realize that she was in line to get a ticket. She quickly moved to a bench, despite the rain.

_**No! Go back and get a ticket!**_ the voice in her head ordered. **_Hurry! You have to get on _that_ train before it leaves!_**

Mari, flat out refused, but it seemed so persistent. She didn't like the fact that every time she was about to leave the station, the pit of her stomach start to ache, even more then it already had been, and her feet refused to obey her. "Fine!" she grumbled under her breath. "I'll get on the stupid train."

Mari cursed herself for buying the needless ticket, when she could have bought breakfast. She didn't know where it was going, and she didn't care; as long as the voice didn't pester her again that day. She was wet and cold and about to sit down right near the door, when the voice suggested-well more like ordered-her to go to the back of the car. "What's so special on this train?" she grumbled as she followed the voice's instructions.

As she approached the back seats of the car, she could see the head and shoulders of a suit of armor with the tip of a blonde head next to him. When Mari reached the two passengers, she looked at them with curiosity. But she wasn't really interested in why someone was in a suit of armor. What caught her attention, was the blonde teenage boy, with golden hazel eyes.

She was taken back. _He looks... he looks like... but he can't be... can he?_ she debated in her mind without realizing she was staring at him, until the he cleared his throat.

"Oh, I... um... I'm sorry," she said shaking her head, causing a few rain droplets to fly everywhere. "I'm sorry... but have we met before?"

He raised an eyebrow as he studied her for a minute before replying, "I don't think so..."

"Oh... well um... yeah..." she was at a lost for words and decided to sit in a seat across the aisle and looked out the window, with her cheeks slightly pink. _Well that could have gone better._ She could feel them staring at her, making her groan inwardly. _This is your fault_, she blamed the voice.

_**Talk to them. Get to know them**_, the voice suggested. Mari ignored it. She had already embarrassed herself she didn't want to have to deal with it any further. But the voice wouldn't give up. _**Talk to them. Talk to them. Talk to them!**_

"No! Shut up!" she yelled causing people to stare at her. "Sorry," she said meekly trying to disappear. _See what you did?_ she scolded the voice.

She felt sick to her stomach, and the cold air plus the moving train didn't help. "I should have gotten breakfast instead of my ticket," she grumbled, rubbing her arms for warmth.

"Do you want something to eat?" the person in the armor asked.

She turned her head, just now noticing that the blonde had already left, to the diner car no doubt. "No," she replied turning away.

"But you said yourself, you should have had breakfast," he said as her stomach growled making him chuckle lightly. "And your stomach thinks so too."

"I don't accept charity," she said flatly.

"It's not charity, it's just-"

"Thank you, but no. I'll be fine," she said leaning her head against the window. The world around her seemed to have faded, as she went to a slight state of unconsciousness, but not necessarily sleeping. Her stomach protested more, but it soon didn't bother her anymore, that is, until the train jumped a bit, causing her to rock forward. The stomach acid once again hit the empty sides and made her feel nauseous.

It took her a split two seconds to get to her feet and stumble into the aisle before she threw up. Mari held on to one of the seats for support, but she didn't seem to have any strength left. She didn't even feel herself let go of of the seat and begin to fall slightly, before someone grabbed her hand and held her up.

The person was saying something, but she didn't quite hear him, except one question, or rather thought. _I wonder who she is..._

_I'm Marisol..._ she had tried to respond before she collapsed from lack of energy. _Marisol Foster._


	3. Chapter 3 Doc, I think She Just Jumped

**Chapter 3**

_" 'ey Bwother," the three year-old with soft-red blonde hair looked around the grassy area. "Bwother where awe you?" Her pale blue eyes began to fill with fear as she looked around. She felt as though something was wrong, and the feeling increased with every second. She could feel a slight relief wash over her as she spotted a blonde not far ahead._

_"Bwoth-" a hand clapped over her mouth. She struggled in the stranger's arms trying to get free. _

_"Calm down," he hissed in her ear, his dark green hair tickling her cheek. "I'm not going to hurt you, but you're not staying here my old friend. You should have never run away. And to think you thought I'd never find you." _

_The young girl didn't know what the stranger was talking about. She whimpered sadly before she took one last look at her home on the hill and her brother who was running toward the river as the stranger picked her up and ran through the woods with her in his arms._

"Brother, do you think she'll be okay?" Alphonse asked Edward for the umpteenth time since they reached the hospital. Mari heard the voices, but she didn't want to move.

"I don't know... The doctor said she just needs some food and rest. Something about malnourishment...," he sighed. "What I don't understand is why Mustang is making us take care of her. I thought he wanted us to get to East City as soon as possible. So why make us stay with her?"

"Maybe he knows her... You did tell him her name... Mary-something, right?"

"Marisol," Edward corrected. "Marisol Foster."

"What?" she whined, not opening her eyes.

"You're awake?"

"I'll go tell the doctor that she's up." She heard the clatter of hollow footsteps walk out of the room and shut the door behind him.

"No, I'm talking in my sleep," Mari rolled her eyes as she sat up. She groaned, not feeling well, before she let her head fall back to the pillow. "Whoever gave me a pillow, thank you. It's just what the doctor ordered," she snuggled into it happily.

"Actually the doctor ordered you to eat," she heard someone say, ruining her good mood.

"Shut up Edward, who asked you?!" she said grumpily.

"How'd you know my name?"

"Huh?" Mari sat up in the bed. _Whoa, when did I get off the train_? she thought brushing her hands over the soft covers. _And who brought me to the hospital?_

"Woo-hoo. Earth to Marisol. How'd you know my name? I've never told you."

"Well... Um... I don't know! And what about you! I don't think I've ever told you mine. How'd you know _my_ name?"

"Well... Um..."

"Uh-huh, see, you don't even know," she said with a smirk.

"Yeah I do! You told be what your name was back on the train! Before you passed out. You should be thanking me, because it if wasn't for me, you would have fallen in your own vomit."

Mari was about to say something when she saw the person in the suit of armor walk in, followed by a doctor. "Yo," she said casually. "So Doc, What's your diagnostic? Am I going to croak?" She pulled on the collar of her shirt as she dramatically dropped herself to the bed.

"No, no, Ms. Foster," the doctor chuckled. "You'll be just fine. You need something to eat though. When was the last time you ate?"

"About... How long was I asleep?"

"About a day."

"Almost a week now."

"Why?" the doctor looked at her with worry and concern.

"I was pretty far from a town, and I didn't have anything to eat while I was gone."

"Well that's not good. You need nourishment. I'll send the nurse with some food. Please eat it Ms. Foster. We don't want you to collapse again."

"Ay, Ay, Cap-e-ton," she saluted the doctor, making him smile as he walked out. She jumped out of the bed, and dragged her IV stand with her. "Hey Edward, where's my stuff?"

"In that locker thing over there. Why?" She ignored him and gathered the clothes and book bag before going to the bathroom. "Marisol? What are you doing?"

"I'm getting dressed, don't come in," she sung as she skipped and closed the door behind her.

"I wasn't-!" he began to yell but stopped when she placed a finger of his lips.

"I know you weren't, quit yelling so much." She smiled, already in the clothes, the IV and hospital gown left in the bathroom.

"How did... Never mind. What are you doing? You're not supposed to-"

"I don't care what I'm not supposed to do, Edward. I already told your brother I didn't accept charity. And I mean that. So I'll be on my way," she waved to him as she headed toward the window and opened it. "See you later little brother," she said to Al. "Bye Ed."

"Wait! We're on the fourth floor!" Alphonse yelled as Edward dove to grab her hand before she jumped out the window, but he was a second to late. His eyes widened as he raced to the window and looked over the edge. He expected to see her falling or at least a body at the bottom, but there was nothing; only air.

"Looking for me?"


	4. Chapter 4 Escape Plan: Fly

**Chapter 4**

"What the he-ow," Edward groaned once he hit his head on the window above him. Marisol was flying, no _floating_,above him.

She giggled as she pulled him through the window. He didn't even have time to scream before she sped high into the air, and above the roof, and put him, correction, threw him on it. He complained about the rough landing before he snapped at her. "What the hell is wrong with you?! How'd you-?"

"I thought you were an Alchemy guy?" she interrupted. "A State Alchemist, am I right?"

"Yeah but what-"

"Then you can understand that in order to 'fly' all you have to do is lower the air pressure underneath of an object so that it floats. By reversing the magnetic pull of the object, which is a bit difficult, you avoid the pull of Earth's gravity." She smirked, bobbing up and down in font of him still, "laying" in the air on her stomach.

"And you can do that without a transmutation circle?" he raised an eyebrow.

"Tsk, no," Mari said rolling her eyes. "No one can do Alchemy without a transmutation circle. I have these," she said as she pulled out a card about the size of a poker card, maybe a little skinner, out of her pocket. It was thick and had a transmutation circle drawn on one side. Other wise it was just blank. "I have a few in my pocket. Each one has a different texture, and feeling. It took me awhile to figure out what each one was for, and what they did."

"So you use these?"

"Yeah. It beats having to redraw one or carrying a piece of chalk around. Plus I can do all sort of things, and it's much e-" Mari didn't get to finish her sentance. Instead she started falling out of the air, almost missing the edge of the hospital roof. She held the edge of the roof with one hand; her back to the building. Her other hand was holding her head as she tried to catch her breath.

Edward was already trying to pull her up. "You need to give me your free hand," he said. She almost missed what he said, but she followed his instructions. "Are you okay?" he asked once she was safely on the roof.

"I... I think I am."

"You're going back to your bed."

"What?!" Mari sprang to her feet only to sway because of the sudden action.

"See, you can barely stand up," he said scooping her up bridal style.

"Hey! Put. Me. Down! You have no right to do this! Put-me-down! Put-me-down! Put-me-down!" she struggled as he brought her back into the hospital and walked toward her room. _Think Mari, think._ she told herself frantically trying to think of a way to get away, when she thought of something devious. "Rape! He's going to rape me! Somebody help me!"

"What the hell?!" he raised an eyebrow at her when he felt something hit him in the back of the head. Mari suppressed a giggle. She quickly allowed herself to stay afloat in the air as he fell to the ground with a thud.

"Thanks a bunch, ma'am," she bowed slightly as she let her feet touch the ground before she took off running. She heard him yelling at the patient that hit him in the head, saying something about avoiding the doctor and he wasn't doing anything. _**You shouldn't have done that**_, the voice disapproved.

_I'll do what I want_, she scowled, as she turned a corner and ran into a nurse. "Damn it," she swore underneath her breath.

* * *

"Now stay in your room Ms. Foster," the nurse instructed Mari. Mari pouted with her arms crossed as the nurse set a tray in front of her. "And eat up, or you'll never get well."

"Marisol?" Alphonse questioned as he walked into the room. "They said they found you. You shouldn't leave until you're better. Brother said that you nearly fell off the roof. Do you know why he's so angry?" Mari couldn't help but bust out laughing, almost dropping the food to the floor. "I guess that's a yes?" she waved it off before she took a sip of some apple juice. "So you're not going to tell me," Al sighed.

Edward walked in and slammed the door behind him, much to the nurse's distaste, though she didn't say anything. Mari tired to contain her laughter when she felt the juice coming through her nose. "Quit laughing! It wasn't funny!" Ed snapped at her.

"It was for me," she continued.

"You know the hell that put me through? It wasn't fun, Marisol," he glared at her. "Once they send someone-"

"Mari," she interrupted once again, sipping at some soup.

"Huh?" he raised an eyebrow looking at her.

"Call me Mari, I don't like Marisol."

"You have some nerve to-"

"I didn't mean any harm in it; I just wanted to get away. I don't accept charity."

"Charity? Well we wouldn't have stayed so long if Mustang hadn't ordered us to. And next time you-"

"Mustang... Mustang... Mustang..." she repeated to herself.

"Hey! Are you even paying attention?!"

"Why does that name sound familiar?"

"Mari!" Ed yelled catching her attention.

"What?" she looked at him innocently, drinking the rest of her soup. "I still don't like charity. So when I get the money, I'll have to pay you back, main reason I didn't want to stay here, it costs a lot of money to be at a hospital."

"Well you shouldn't have starved yourself," Ed told her leaning back in the chair, some of his anger subsiding.

"I didn't starve myself, I just didn't have any food with me," Mari protested. "I was making my way back home, to get some money that I needed."

"You know, you're a very strange person," Ed stared at her.

"I am not! You... you... you State Alchemist."

"Ha, you can't even think of a come back."

"Be quiet _rapist_," she huffed ripping a piece of bread with her teeth.

"You know what how about you don't talk!" he said angrily crossing his arms and scowled.

Alphonse was utterly confused. He decided to just let it go, not even bothering to ask. The room was silent for a few minutes, but Marisol wasn't one to stay quite for long.

"Mustang! I remember now!" Marisol said with a sudden outburst startling both brothers.


	5. Chapter 5 Leave Me Be

**Chapter 5**

"You're something else, you know that?" Ed said shaking his head as he regained his posture. "Who's Mustang to you?"

"Well the Mustang family lived near by. He and-"

"How are you doing Ms. Foster?" the doctor asked walking in with a chart in his hand.

"I'm fine, but you interrupted me when I was talking to Mr. Grouchy over there."

"I'm not grouchy," Ed protested with his arms crossed.

"You keep telling yourself that," she giggled.

"Well you can talk to your brother later; right now we just want to check up on you, seeing if your depriving of food was the only cause of your sickness."

"Brother?" she raised an eyebrow, looking over at Ed. He had the same confused look on his face.

"I'm/He's not her/my brother," they said at the same time. They sent each other a glare before the doctor spoke up again.

"I'm sorry, you two look like you're related, twins even," he said, checking her eyes. "Are you two cousins?"

"No," Ed and Mari said. "Would you cut that out?!" they yelled at each other and groaned, making Al chuckle.

"It looks like you guys are a bit alike," he said.

"Quiet Al," Edward said hotly.

"Everything seems to be fine, Ms. Foster. Just don't starve yourself, and you'll be fine," the doctor advised.

"I didn't starve myself, I didn't have any food with me," she said crossing her arms and scowled.

"Well make sure you take food with you then," he said smiling at her. "You're free to go whenever you please. And don't accuse people of being something their not," he said shaking his head.

"You mean when that patient hit Ed for trying to drag me back here," she giggled.

"I still have a large bump because of you," he glared at her.

The doctor chuckled. "Okay, okay. I'll have the nurse bring your belongings. Have a good day, Ms. Foster and Mr. Elric."

* * *

"That was a waste of time," Mari and Ed agreed as the walked out of the building.

"You know, you're really starting to get annoying," she said dully glancing at Ed.

"Its strange how much you two are actually alike," Al spoke up.

"Shut up, Al," Edward grumbled.

"I wonder... Does Eddie boy here call most of the shots? He doesn't seem to do much but order people around."

"Ed doesn't like to listen to anyone. That gets him into trouble most of the time."

"I can imagine that."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ed hollered. "You're the one who got me in trouble here, so I-"

"I know, I know, but it's fun," she teased. "Well you two, I'll be seeing you?" she saluted them.

"What? Where you going?" Al asked.

"You can't go," Ed said flatly.

"And why ever not," she exaggerated, walking a bit faster.

"Because Mustang wanted us to take you back to East City."

"I don't think so," she smirked as she took off running. "Catch me if you can!" she laughed rising herself off the ground as she gained speed.

"No you don't," Ed jumped up and grabbed her ankle.

"Get off you annoying short alchemist," she turned around in the air trying to pry his hand off.

"I'm NOT SHORT! And You. Can't. Leave," he held on tight. It knocked both of them out of the air, though Ed was the one that got hurt.

"MORON! I don't like Mustang. Roy is it? I hate the military, and they're going to try to make me a ward of the state. I'm not going through that!" she roared, before she kicked him and flew off. _**You should go with him**_.

_I'm tired of you, what do you want_, she asked the voice, a little annoyed.

_**You should go back.  
**_

"And why should I?"

_**Because you once knew him.**_

"What?" Mari stopped in the air. She lowered herself to the ground as she calmed down. "What do you mean?" she asked the voice. But it didn't say anything. "Tell me," she insisted, but it remained quiet. _Fine, keep your secrets_, she sighed.

_**You should go with-**_

"Fine, I'll go!" she stomped the ground angrily.

"What?" Al was trying to catch up to her. "What did you say, Mari?"

"I'll go, but on one condition."

"Huh?" Al was a bit surprised.

"I want some honest answers."

"What do you mean?"

"I want to know about your guy's past."


End file.
